Dr. Seuss Day very ‘meussical’

By SHANNON WATKINS

shannon@southwesttimes.com

“Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to our sauna.”

Mike Grim, principal of Pulaski’s Critzer Elementary School, appropriately opened the Dr. Seuss Day show with a laugh. The show took place in Critzer’s “little theater” and was packed tight with parents, grandparents, assorted family members and students.

The heat couldn’t drive the audience away, though; everyone enjoyed a brief series of songs performed by the Pre-K and kindergarten classes, including “The Cat in the Hat” to the tune of the Addams Family theme and “Dr. Seuss Is on the Loose” to the tune of “Bingo.”

The musical program was a collaborative effort among the kindergarten and Pre-K teachers and music teacher Kathy Woolwine.

Before the show, several activities were available to all students in the cafeteria, including bookmark-making, constructing edible “hats” from Oreos, vanilla frosting, and red Lifesavers, and a book giveaway presided over by Angela V. Clevinger, treasurer for the Pulaski County Education Association, the organization responsible for the books donated. The activities were coordinated by Radford University student teachers.

After the show, the winners of a raffle for the students were announced in the little theater and awarded in the cafeteria; prizes of a striped Cat-in-the-Hat-style hat each went to kindergarten student Darcey Bauer, 5, and Pre-K student Andrew Walk, 4.

The entire celebration lasted from 5:30 p.m. to about 6:30 p.m. and as part of Reading Month, observed throughout March.

Lynne Clarke, Parent Involvement Coordinator, who came dressed as the Cat in the Hat, said, “It’s just to get the kids excited about reading, and Dr. Seuss is a great way to do that. They get really excited over Dr. Seuss.”

Student teacher and RU student Mariah Colcombe echoed her sentiment. “We’re just helping children be more interested in reading.”